1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly comprising metal and ceramic material, more particularly, an assembly which comprises a metal member and a ceramic member joined thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various assemblies of metal and ceramic material are known. FIG. 6 shows, by way of example, a piston liner for an internal combustion engine. It comprises a cylindrical metal sleeve (11) and a cylindrical ceramic member (12) joined by shrink fitting or otherwise to the inner surface (13) of the metal sleeve. The ceramic member consists essentially of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 or SiC. The metal sleeve and the ceramic member, however, have widely different coefficients of thermal expansion. If they are exposed to a high temperature for a long time, the shrink fit is likely to become loose, resulting in the displacement of the ceramic member from the metal base. Shrink fitted assemblies also require a high degree of dimensional accuracy and complicated treatment of the individual parts which clearly places a limitation on productivity.